


A New Chapter Begins

by MagnusTesla



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, Ficlet, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Short & Sweet, Ten Days of Tenzo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:48:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25709983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagnusTesla/pseuds/MagnusTesla
Summary: Tenzou had always believed that he was destined to remain in the shadows forever, and that his dream in the infinite tsukuyomi was just that— a dream. Something that could never be.Written for Ten Days of Tenzou 2020 - Day 4 - Sensei | Summons
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka/Yamato | Tenzou, Hatake Kakashi/Yamato | Tenzou, Umino Iruka/Yamato | Tenzou
Comments: 27
Kudos: 120





	A New Chapter Begins

**Author's Note:**

  * For [enby0angel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/enby0angel/gifts).



> For Enby! I was originally going to write this as Iruka/Tenzou, but your love of poly relationships really inspired me, and so, I wanted to write this for both you and the event. I hope you like! ♡

It’s almost ridiculous really, how his heart races and panic rises in his chest; even on the hardest ANBU missions, Tenzou has never quite felt this anxious. He’s faced terrifying foes and survived capture during the last great war, and yet, at this moment, those are nothing compared to the next chapter in his life.

“Tenzou, you’re going to wear a hole in the floor with all your pacing,” Iruka says, pouring fresh coffee and placing a mug on the table before all but forcing him into a chair. “Sit, drink, and just take a moment to relax, okay?”

“Maa, Ru, somehow I don’t think the coffee is going to help. He’s just going to end up even more wired.”

There might as well be steam coming out of Iruka’s ears as he pokes Kakashi in the ribs and starts ranting, “shut it, Bakashi. It’s not like you’ve been much help. I mean, what were you _thinking_ telling him stories about when you first became a jounin sensei? Team 7 isn’t exactly a good example. These might as well be horror stories!”

Tenzou takes a sip of his coffee and wills his body to relax whilst he listens to the back and forth between Kakashi and Iruka. He isn’t sure how it happened, but what initially started as being a guest of the couple as he recovered after the war, turned into so much more, blossoming into romance and love that, Tenzou wonders how he could be so lucky.

Even now, there are still moments he has to pinch himself to remind him that yes, this is real, that he isn’t somehow still stuck inside the infinite tsukuyomi. In that dream world, his subconscious desires surfaced— the wish to be a jounin sensei, to be part of a family, to no longer walk in the shadows. Coming back to reality had been painful, the genjutsu plaguing his every waking thought, a reminder of what could never be. Or, so he’d believed.

“You’ll be fine. After all, you survived team 7,” Kakashi assures from where he sits across the table, smiling over the top of his mug. 

“But, what if I’m not good enough? I don’t think I could cope going back to—” 

Iruka cuts him off before he can finish speaking, before he can vocalise one of his biggest fears. “You are a wonderful sensei, and these genin are lucky to have you. You did an amazing job with Naruto, Sakura, and Sai, and you were, still are, every bit their sensei as Kakashi is.”

Warm arms wrap around Tenzou’s shoulders from behind, Iruka pressing a quick kiss to his cheek as he continues, “and you are never going back to ANBU.”

“Perks of dating the Rokudaime,” Kakashi says, voice teasing. “In all seriousness, Tenz, you are never going back there. I made sure of that myself.” 

Of course he did, Tenzou thinks. Still, despite knowing it’s true, there’s always the niggling voice in the back of his mind, one that tries to tell him that none of this will last, that it’s just a matter of time before it comes crumbling down. Tenzou knows now that voice is just his anxiety lying to him; months of ongoing therapy with Shizune have helped him realise that.

Taking a few deep breaths, Tenzou leans back into Iruka and closes his eyes, sinking into the simple domesticity that surrounds him. “Do you think they’ll like me?” 

Kakashi leans forward, reaching across the table and squeezes Tenzou’s hand, rubbing his thumb in comforting circles across the back of it. The gesture is sweet, and between Iruka hugging him and Kakashi holding his hand, Tenzou finds his eyes welling up with unshed tears of gratefulness at the unwavering belief of his partners.

Squeezing him tighter, Iruka says, “of course they will. I remember my first day teaching at the academy. I was a bag of nerves, so much so that I summoned my bats to help me keep an eye on the kids during training outside.” 

The image in Tenzou’s mind of a young Iruka herding a bunch of pre-genin with his summons is a funny one, and he finds himself laughing, the anxiety slowly fading away. “That brings a new meaning to being a bat-shit crazy sensei,” Tenzou jokes, feeling lighter than he had only minutes before.

“That was terrible, even for you,” Kakashi snorts, leaning back in his chair to gulp down the rest of his coffee. “Iruka’s right, you did amazing with our kids, and your new team is going to be lucky to have you. Good luck with Naruto’s mini-me, though.”

Tenzou groans thinking about just how much of a handful Konohamaru is going to be, having a wild streak a mile wide, every bit a prankster as Naruto had been and still is. He loves Naruto, they’re family in all but blood, but Tenzou swears the boy is the reason for the grey hairs starting to appear. “Ugh, don’t remind me. I’m probably going to spend the day chasing him and the other two across the village, aren’t I?”

“Probably.” Iruka releases him, rapidly forming some hand signs, and with a burst of smoke, one of Iruka’s bat summons appears on the table. “You know Katsuki. She’ll keep you company today, and help keep track of the hellions.”

The little grey bat tilts her head, letting out a small squeak in agreement and climbs into Tenzou’s hand. Her ears are so tall compared to the rest of her small body, and he can see why Iruka had used his summons in the way he had - there’s no way anyone would be able to hide from such sensitive hearing. 

“Are you sure you don’t mind helping me today?” Tenzou asks Katsuki, running a finger over her soft fur. “I don’t want to bother you.”

Katsuki doesn’t so much answer as nuzzling her face into Tenzou’s palm, and then, takes off, flying up into the air before landing atop his head and nestling into thick, chestnut coloured strands.

“You best get going, otherwise you’ll be late for meeting your team.”

Iruka almost snorts coffee out of his nose at Kakashi’s comment, spluttering as he swallows it down around a laugh. “Coming from you, that’s hilarious, mister-always-late-for-everything. You were supposed to be at the office hours ago. Poor Shikamaru is going to end up bald at this rate!” 

“Maa, it’s not my fault. It’s hard to want to get up for work when I wake next to two gorgeous men in my bed every morning.”

“You’re terrible,” Tenzou says, rolling his eyes and taking a final mouthful of his coffee before heading to the front door to put his sandals on. He turns around to call out goodbye, only to be pulled into a crushing hug, Iruka and Kakashi both squeezing him tight.

“Good luck,” they both say, taking turns in peppering Tenzou’s face in kisses until he’s blushing so much that he’s sure he just might catch fire. Katsuki let’s out a what sounds like an exasperated squeak, and grips Tenzou’s hair tighter with both her feet and the claw on her wing.

“Thank you.” Tenzou kisses his partners goodbye and pulls the door shut behind him, taking a deep breath to steady the nerves that have returned, and heads out. “C’mon, Katsuki, let’s go meet the team.”

**Author's Note:**

> Amazing artwork by [NKI-Stories!](https://nki-stories.tumblr.com/) Thank you collabing with me on this! ♡ Also, thank you to Badger for reading this over, and kicking my butt when it was needed ♡ 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! ♡ I appreciate every single kudos and comment. Let me know your thoughts below! I encourage all comments, even if it's short, keyboard smashing/flailing or emojis.
> 
> Find me on Discord (MagnusTesla#8289) on [Tumblr.](https://magnustesla.tumblr.com/) (send me prompts and fic requests)


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